Former pig farm owner and trash hauler Louis L. Vinagro Jr., whose fights with federal and state environmental authorities over the years has become the stuff of legend, is facing charges of malicious injury to property and willful trespass for alleg

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By
Richard C. Dujardin
Posted Sep. 11, 2013 @ 8:03 pm

JOHNSTON, R.I. -- Former pig farm owner and trash hauler Louis L. Vinagro Jr., whose fights with federal and state environmental authorities over the years has become the stuff of legend, is facing charges of malicious injury to property and willful trespass for allegedly vandalizing a $20,000 piece of machinery belonging to his nephew by dumping heavy loads of tires onto it.

Police said on Sept. 3 they observed the 61-year-old Vinagro use a backhoe to pick up tires and throw the them over his property line, directly atop a 60-foot man lift belonging to his nephew, Joseph R. Vinagro, 39, of Shun Pike.

When confronted, the elder Vinagro told police that he was merely "returning" some tires that belonged to his nephew. The two Vinagros have been engaged in an ongoing dispute over the exact location of the property line that separates their properties.

Following his arrest on Sept. 4, the elder Vinagro, of 23 Greenhill Rd., was arraigned on a charge of vandalism and willful trespass and released by Justice of the Peace Richard Raspallo on personal recognizance pending a hearing on Sept. 18.